The Necropolis Scavenger Hunt Western Quadrant

Important: The Necropolis is This scavenger hunt was designed to help people discover the Toronto Necropolis. There a cemetery, not an amusement park. is no “prize” to win other than some knowledge of our history. However, feel free to Please be respectful: do not run, and challenge each other, play in teams, etc. keep noise to a minimum. Please do not lean on, walk on or touch The Necropolis is an open history book, being the final resting place of a number of monuments. Also keep your distances remarkable people whose lives had an impact on the city, the country, and sometimes the (at least 2 metres) from each other. world.

Route: Start from the gates of the cemetery, walk up about 25 metres to what look like three short pillars. On top of one of them you will see a small sculpture representing a family. From there go west (left) toward Sumach Street, near the fence, then north toward Amelia Street (go around that part of the cemetery clockwise).

To find your way, it would be a good idea to orient yourself. The front of the Chapel is facing south. When you face the chapel, west is to your left (toward Sumach Street). East is to your right (toward the DVP). The back of the chapel points north.

Good luck!

1. The Porte-Cochère The cemetery gate is a beautiful porte-cochère. A porte-cochère is a roofed structure covering an entrance. It protected the hearse that would have stopped beside the chapel. Remember that the chapel and the porte-cochère were built in 1872. Hearses back then were pulled by: ______.

2. Pebbles on Pillars Can you see the pillars surrounded by a garden? Attached to the sides of these pillars are plaques with the names of people whose ashes have been scattered in the surrounding garden. You will see some pebbles on top of the pillars (and sometimes on top of tombstones across the cemetery).

Why do you think people have put these pebbles there? ______.

1 3. Carol Anne Letheren On one of the pillars you will find the name of Carol Anne Letheren. All her life, Carol Anne was involved in sports, as an athlete, coach, and administrator.

She was the Chef de mission for the Canadian Team at the Seoul Games in 1988. The symbol on the plaque indicates what movement she was part of. It was the ______Movement.

4. Pink Granite Obelisk - Blackburns From the pillars, go west. You know what an obelisk looks like? An obelisk is a slim column (with fours sides) that tapers as it goes up. There’s a small pyramid at the top called a pyramidion. It is unsurprising as obelisks are a style of monument that originates in Ancient Egypt. The name you are looking for on the obelisk is Blackburn.

Where were the Blackburns from? (clue: it’s a state in the United States). ______.

5. A Father of Confederation Just a few metres from the Blackburn obelisk, you can see a couple of plaques marking the grave of a great Canadian. It is George Brown. There’s a college named after him but, in his days, George Brown was a newspaper publisher and a politician. He joined forces with John A. Macdonald and helped establish the Canadian Confederation in 1867. On what date and year did George Brown die? ______.

6. Onward Walk northwest from George Brown’s grave and after a few metres, you will see an interesting monument that looks like rectangular blocks tumbling forward. It is a sculpture called Onward. The message the sculptor wanted to carry was: ‘you just buried your loved one, now move on with your life.’ The ashes of the artist are buried around his monument. His name is on a plaque at one of the corners. His family name is Eloul. What is his first name? ______.

7. Resting place of Pioneers Walk west several metres. You will see on the ground a large rock with a plaque on it. The top of the plaque says “The Resting Place of Pioneers.” Read it. It tells you that in this area are buried many of the early Europeans who settled in Toronto (which at the time was called York). Their bodies were moved from an earlier cemetery that used to be where Yonge and Bloor streets are today. What was the name of this early cemetery? ______.

2 8. Monument to Rebels Continue to walk west (toward Sumach Street) from the Resting Place rock. Before you get to the fence, you will find a tall monument with a column that looks broken. Buried there are a couple of “rebels” who took part in the of 1837. There is a plaque telling their stories. What are the family names of the two rebels:

Samuel ______, and

Peter ______.

9. Edward Hanlan Just a few metres from the broken column is the grave of “Ned” Hanlan (light grey monument with a small rounded cross on top). Everybody called him Ned. Ned grew up on Toronto Islands and was using a rowboat to reach the mainland to go to school. It gave him the bug and he became a world champion in sculling (a type of rowing). Hanlan’s Point is named after his family as they were one of the first families to live on Toronto Islands.

Year Edward Hanlan died: ______. 10. John M. McIntosh Walk north toward Amelia Street. Find the light blue-grey monument. Can you see how different it is from the others? It looks much better preserved. Now gently knock on it. What does that tell you? Yes, it’s metal and it’s hollow. It is made out of zinc which was popular for a while at the end of the 19th century. Look at the symbols on the monument. What do you think they mean?

How old was John Marshall McIntosh when he died in 1877? ______months and ______days old.

Unfortunately, child mortality was very high then.

11. Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer Walk east, back toward the centre of the road. This monument (black granite) might be a little difficult to find. It is about 25 metres from the road, near a few trees. Buried here is Ainsworth Dyer who grew up in Regent Park. He was a soldier and was killed by friendly fire in the early days of a war that took place in Central and South Asia. The country where he died is written on his tombstone. What is it? ______.

3 Answers: Western Quadrant Answers are underlined.

1. Porte-Cochère established the first cab company in • It looks like (and is) a modern sculpture. • Cars didn’t exist in 1872 They are only Toronto. • There are many sculptures by this accessible to the masses in the early • They became wealthy. With their artist throughout Toronto. The largest 20th century, the Model T was released money, they helped several other one may be the one at the northeast in 1908, Most of the vehicles were pulled American enslaved people cross into corner of Church and Bloor streets. It is by horses. Canada through what was called the very similar: rectangles appearing to be • The name of the gate gives us a clue. Underground Railroad. tumbling forward. In the case of the one • The French word cochère is the adjective • The monument is for Thornton at Church and Bloor, the rectangles are associated with the name cocher. A Blackburn and his wife Lucy. Many other enormous and made of stainless steel. cocher is a coachman. enslaved people they helped, who could Check it out the next time you are in not afford a plot, are also buried here that neighbourhood. 2. Pebbles on Pillars but their names do not appear on the • The sculptor’s name is Kosso Eloul. He • Leaving pebbles on top of a tombstone is monument. was born in Russia. In Canada, he lived an old Jewish tradition. It has also been on Sherbourne Street, just a few blocks adopted by other cultures. It basically 5. A Father of Confederation from here. means “I was here and I remember!” – George Brown • He is one of the great Canadian sculptors • People honour the dead by letting other • George Brown was the publisher of The of the 20th century and was married to visitors know that the gravesite has Globe, which in 1936 merged with the the painter Rita Letendre recently been visited. Mail & Empire to become the Globe and • So any answer that comes close to this Mail. 7. Resting Place of Pioneers is good. • He became a politician and pushed • Cemeteries usually have a religious for many important political ideals: affiliation (e.g. an Anglican or Catholic 3. Carol Anne Letheren representation by population at cemetery). • Carol Anne Letheren dedicated her life elections, better treatment of prisoners, • The Toronto Necropolis is a non- to the Olympic Movement. etc. denominational cemetery. This means • At the time of her death - suddenly from • He was also involved in anti-slavery that anyone, regardless of their religious a brain aneurysm - she was the head of activities with his friend Thornton affiliation, can be buried here. the Canadian Olympic Committee and Blackburn. It is not an accident that they • The Necropolis is Toronto’s second non- a member of the International Olympic are neighbours in eternity. denominational cemetery and opened Committee. • His grave marker is not the tall dark in 1850 to replace another cemetery • At the Seoul Olympics in 1988, she monument but the low one in grey that dated back to 1826 and had no was the one who had to retrieve Ben granite just south of it. more room. This first cemetery, which Johnson’s gold medal He had been • At the end of his political career, Brown was at what is today Yonge and Bloor disqualified after testing positive for use went back to the Globe. streets, was officially called the York (and of steroids. • One day, a drunk disgruntled employee thenToronto) General Burying Grounds. who had been fired weeks before showed But most people knew of it under its 4. Pink Granite Obelisk up in Brown’s office and shot him. Brown common name: Potter’s Field (it’s the – The Blackburns was able to push the assailant’s hand but name used on the plaque). • Ancient Egyptians associated obelisks was still hit in the thigh. • As the plaque says, Potter’s Field closed with Ra, the sun god (look closely — an • Unfortunately, the wound became in 1855 and the remains of hundreds of obelisk looks like a ray of sun). infected and gangrene developed. people were moved to the Necropolis • Look at the pyramidion. It is a mini- • George Brown died a few weeks later and to the Mount Pleasant Cemetery. It pyramid. Pyramids in Egypt were giant on May 9, 1880. took a couple of decades to complete tombs. the task. • The Blackburns were enslaved people in 6. Onward their home state of Kentucky. • One monument in the Necropolis looks 8. Monument to Rebels • They escaped, making their way to very different from the others. • The Toronto of the first half of the 19th Detroit and then Toronto. • It is not very far from George Brown’s century was very different from today. • Once in the city, they were free and grave, just a few metres northwest of it. • The government was led by an elite that

4 was remarkabley self-serving. Alderman (that’s the way City • Ainsworth was just 24. • Of course they had opposition. This Councillors were called back then). He • He was buried here with full military opposition culminated in the Upper died in 1908 at age 52. honours (gun salute, dignitaires, etc.). Canada Rebellion of 1837 when a group Hundreds of people were in attendance. of rebels led by 10. John M. McIntosh tried to overturn the government. • Life was tough in the 19th century. • The Rebellion failed and many rebels Families had many children and it was were imprisoned. almost certain that a few would die • Wanting to “set an example” and avoid before reaching adult age. a repeat of the events, the Authorities • Many died very young. We have an decided to execute a couple of rebels by example here. public hanging. • You can see the name John Marshall • Because of their rank, Samuel Lount McIntosh just under the lamb and Peter Matthews were chosen and (symbolizing childhood). hanged in April 1838 after their trial and • When he died, John Marshall McIntosh many pleas for clemency. was 3 months and 14 days old. • After their execution, they were first • There are only a handful of zinc buried in Potter’s Field. The small plaque monuments spread through the with their names on the ground in front cemetery. of the big one was also moved here from • You could order your zinc monument Potter’s Field. “by catalogue.” You could choose the • They were called “rebels” by the then size, the various decorations, and have Authorities. But today, they are seen whatever you wanted written on the as martyrs and heroes to the cause of side. democracy in Canada. Were the rebels • These monuments fell our of fashion good guys or bad guys? because they always looked “new” while • Funerary monuments are often full of the stone monuments around them symbolism. For example, you may think took on a nice patina and gravitas that that the column on top of the monument suited a cemetery. is broken. It is not. A broken column on a monument symbolized lives cut short. 11. Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer • Cpl. is short for Corporal. 9. Edward “Ned” Hanlan • Ainsworth Dyer was born in Montreal in • Imagine having to row your way to a family originally from Jamaica. He grew school on a boat every day from Toronto up down just the street from here in Islands to the mainland. Regent Park. • That’s what Ned Hanlan had to do and • He enrolled in the Canadian Army. it was great preparation for Ned to He died as a member of the Princess become a champion sculler. Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in the • A movie of his life was made in the mid- Canadian Armed Forces. 1980s with Nicholas Cage playing the • At the time, Canada was engaged in the role of Ned Hanlan. The title is The Boy war in Afghanistan. in Blue. • He was killed in a friendly fire incident. • After retiring from competition, Ned An American pilot mistakenly thought went into politics and was elected that he was firing on the enemy.

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